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Nyman nets pair in Fronts' win

Kingston Frontenacs Linus Nyman enters the Oshawa Generals zone before a failed drop pass to Gabriel Vilardi during the second period of Ontario Hockey League action at the Rogers K-Rock Centre in Kingston, Ont. on Saturday January 13, 2018. Nyman would score two goals against the Generals and Vilardi would pick up three assists. Steph Crosier/Kingston Whig-Standard/Postmedia Network

A couple of the newest Kingston Frontenacs players, Max Jones and Gabe Vilardi, are discovering that one of the underrated players of the Ontario Hockey League resides on their line.

Linus Nyman, the 18-year-old Kingston sophomore, is playing right wing with Vilardi at centre and Jones on left wing.

The trio were the best unit going for the Frontenacs in a 4-1 win over the Oshawa Generals before 3,645 at the Rogers K-Rock Centre on Saturday afternoon.

Nyman scored twice and Jones had his first in two games with his new team. Vilardi assisted on three goals.

Jones and Vilardi came over from the Western Conference, where a player like Nyman isn’t seen a lot.

“To be honest, I didn’t even know him until I got here,” said Jones, who is quickly coming to appreciate his new teammate’s talents.

“Linus had a great game. He was just in spots where the puck was going. He finds the net, finds the spots on the ice that he needs to be in. He is really good with the puck and that just complements me and Lardo [Vilardi],” added Jones, who likes the way the line has come together in the two games since Jones came over in a trade from the London Knights.

“Lardo is really good down low. I try to compensate with him down there in the corners, create space for each other. Then we will find Linus in a sneaky spot. I think we do a great job out there as a line.”

Vilardi, as a former member of the Windsor Spitfires, knows more about Jones from their Western Conference days. He, too, is quickly learning to appreciate the skill of the five-foot-10, 160-pound Nyman.

“He’s kind of underrated. He goes around and he’s kind of quiet on the ice and then finds the sweet spot in the slot or the top of the crease,” Vilardi said. “He’s got good hands. I watched him in practice. He’s got a really good release. Not just quick, he’s accurate, too.”

It was Nyman’s second goal that countered the Knights' only score, coming just over a minute after Matt Brassard got Oshawa on the scoreboard.

Nyman’s 21st of the season, with Vilardi and Jones assisting, gave the Frontenacs the three-goal cushion going to the third period.

The Frontenacs nailed down the victory in front of goaltender Jeremy Helvig with a shutdown third period. Helvig faced only one shot.

“It’s the first time in a while we’ve played a really steady [third] period. It was good to see,” Frontenacs head coach Jay Varady said. “We are going to create scoring chances on most nights, but for us, we have to play a really strong defensive game. I thought we saw a little bit of that [Saturday].”

Jones said the new players are all feeling a little more comfortable with the systems Varady’s team plays.

“I think for every guy traded here it is definitely a change. These are whole different systems than the teams we came from,” Jones said. “When you are changing to [new] systems, it is going to take a couple games. I’ve got no doubt in our systems. Once we adapt, things are going to be fine.”

Saturday’s win was the third in five games since three of the five new players – Vilardi, Sean Day and Cliff Pu – have been on hand.

“We’ve got a bunch of new guys getting used to systems, trying to make chemistry playing with different guys,” Vilardi said. “For me personally, it’s my fifth game in eight months. I am trying to get my legs back for the team. The second game [of three in three] was really tough last week. [Saturday] I felt the legs were bit better.

“It’s a process. It’s not going to happen in five to 10 games. It is going through the course of the second half. I’ve got to make sure I am doing the right things after the game and before [the next] game.”

Game notes

Matt Hotchkiss opened the scoring, slamming in a setup from Brett Neumann just five seconds after the Frontenacs came off a power play. Goals by Jones and Nyman came less than two minutes apart as the Frontenacs exited the first with a 3-0 lead. ... Former Frontenacs star Anthony Stewart performed the ceremonial puck drop. Stewart was in Kingston coaching a couple of teams in the Taylor Hall Cup minor hockey atom and peewee tournament. ... Tyler Burnie served the final game of his eight-game league suspension. He will be back in the lineup for Sunday’s game in Oshawa. ... Mario Peccia, who started the season with the Frontenacs, was in the backup role to starter Cole Ceci on Saturday.